Germany buys Defenture vehicles for special forces
Germanyβs national parliament has approved a procurement order for Dutch defense manufacturer Defenture to deliver 49 mobile battlefield platforms to the Bundeswehrβs Special Forces Command, known as Kommando SpezialkrΓ€fte, or KSK. The vehicles are scheduled to enter service starting in 2027, according to information released on December 18, 2025. The order covers two variants developed [β¦]
Lockheed Martinβs Skunk Works and XTEND have completed a new integration effort aimed at improving command and control of uncrewed aerial systems across multiple classes, a development tied to evolving joint all-domain command and control concepts. According to information released on December 18, 2025, the two companies integrated XTENDβs Operating System, known as XOS, into [β¦]
The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125) has emerged as the U.S. Navyβs first Flight III warship, introducing a new generation of surface combatant capability centered on advanced radar, power, and combat systems. Commissioned on October 7, 2023, Jack H. Lucas has been designated by the Chief of Naval Operations as [β¦]
Portugalβs Air Force has taken delivery of its first A-29N Super Tucano aircraft, marking the introduction of a new training and light combat capability and making Portugal the first European operator of the platform in its NATO-configured version. The delivery ceremony took place on December 17 at the facilities of OGMA, Portugalβs aerospace company, in [β¦]
Insitu, a Boeing company, in collaboration with Hood Tech, has released new capability upgrades for its Flying Launch and Recovery System, or FLARES, aimed at expanding the operational reach of the long-endurance Integrator uncrewed aerial system. The updates were announced on December 17, 2025, and are focused on improving resilience, communications, and expeditionary performance in [β¦]
Airbus has been awarded a β¬30 million ($35 million) framework contract by the European Maritime Safety Agency to provide remotely piloted aircraft system services using the Flexrotor uncrewed aerial system, expanding Europeβs maritime surveillance capabilities ahead of operations scheduled to begin in 2026. According to a press release from Airbus, the contract will support multipurpose [β¦]
Israel and Germany have signed a $3.1 billion contract expansion for the Arrow 3 air and missile defense system, advancing one of Europeβs largest current missile defense procurements and deepening bilateral defense cooperation between the two countries. According to information released by the Israel Ministry of Defense, the agreement was signed after approval by the [β¦]
Russiaβs Airborne Forces have begun testing a new multifunctional ground robotic platform known as the Omich-2, a system designed by engineers in the city of Omsk and intended for transport, evacuation, and potential combat support roles. The Omich-2 is described as an optionally piloted unmanned ground system with a total weight of about 650 kilograms [β¦]
A convoy of Australian M1A1 Abrams tanks has arrived at a classified location in Poland, marking the final stage of a tightly controlled operation to deliver the armored vehicles to Ukraine, which remains at war with Russia. The Australian Defence Force granted ABC News exclusive access to the operation after the mission was completed, lifting [β¦]
Ukraine has sharply increased the daily supply of interceptor drones used to counter Russian Shahed-type uncrewed aerial vehicles, with average deliveries reaching nearly 950 units per day in December, according to information released by the Ministry of Defense. The drones are contracted by the Defense Procurement Agency of the Ministry of Defense and are intended [β¦]
Ukraine has signed a series of new defense agreements with German partners worth more than β¬1.2 billion ($ 1.4 billion), expanding cooperation on air defense, artillery production, drones, and electronic warfare, Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Wednesday. According to Shmyhal, the agreements were concluded following arrangements reached between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and [β¦]
Kenya has taken delivery of an Israeli-made SPYDER air defense system, a move that expands the Kenya Defence Forcesβ ability to counter aerial threats ranging from aircraft to uncrewed systems, according to information provided by sources familiar with the acquisition. The Surface-to-air PYthon and DERby, or SPYDER, system was manufactured by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems [β¦]
Ukrainian strike drones destroyed two self-propelled launchers of Russiaβs S-400 air defense system in the Belgorod region, according to Ukrainian military officials and open-source analysis released this week. As reported by Militarnyi, citing the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the strike took place on December 14, 2025, in a deployment area used [β¦]
Schiebel has completed the first flight test campaign of its CAMCOPTER S-300 unmanned helicopter in France, a step forward in the development of the next-generation rotary-wing unmanned air system for military and government use. According to a statement from the company dated December 18, 2025, the flight activities were conducted at the CESA Drones test [β¦]
Ukraineβs Security Service (SBU) said long-range strike drones overnight hit Russian air defense systems and a combat aircraft at the Belbek military air base in Russian-occupied Crimea, damaging equipment valued at hundreds of millions of dollars. According to a statement from the SBU, long-range drones operated by the Alfa Special Operations Center struck key elements [β¦]
Polandβs Ministry of National Defense announced that the 37th Air Defense Missile Squadron of the 3rd Warsaw Air Defense Missile Brigade has achieved Full Operational Capability, marking the completion of the first phase of the WisΕa air and missile defense program. According to the Ministry of National Defense, reaching full operational capability by the entire [β¦]
Infantry cadre assigned to the 1st Battalion, 166th Regiment β Regional Training Institute conducted Soldier Borne Sensor training from Dec. 9β11, 2025, using nano-uncrewed aerial systems from Teledyne FLIR, also known as the Black Hornet 4, as part of ongoing efforts to modernize small-unit reconnaissance and prepare instructors for future unmanned aircraft system integration. The [β¦]
Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace has been awarded an $80 million contract modification to provide additional remote turret systems for the U.S. Marine Corpsβ Amphibious Combat Vehicle program, according to a newly released contract notice. The modification applies to a previously awarded contract and covers the Amphibious Combat Vehicle medium caliber cannon Protector remote turret 20, [β¦]
The Chinese Peopleβs Liberation Army Navy (PLAN )βs newest aircraft carrier, Fujian (CV-18), transited the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, marking the second time the carrier has passed through the sensitive waterway, according to Taiwanβs Ministry of National Defense. The Taiwanese military said they monitored the carrierβs movement and responded in line with established procedures. The [β¦]
The Trump administration on December 17 approved a sweeping arms sale package to Taiwan valued at $11.1054 billion, covering eight major defense systems, including HIMARS launchers, M109A7 self-propelled howitzers, TOW and Javelin anti-armor missiles. As reported by Liberty Times, the package includes systems designed for long-range strike, rapid cross-regional reinforcement, and battlefield survivability. Taiwanβs Ministry [β¦]